Former for printing machines



Dec. 4, 1934.

w. J. STRAIN FORMER FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed. [1p Pl 1 20 INVENTOR L3 bll rr lLllsll L r ij i h Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNIFIED; as;

PATENT OFFICE puny; temporary? trustee 1 AnnlicationApi-il zo;1932;.seriaruo..es;sss;

momma (crew-ac):

This invention relates to improvements in? formers: for." printingmachines with, particular reference: to: those used in; connection:with. mam chines'oftthe high speed rotary typex; The'iormer'.

fixreferred to, is one which doubles or makesthe; preliminaryfoldilongitudinally: and centrally of a'multiplez running; web;- andit:has;=been: found that those of:- fixed conformations heretofore;used, occasion;various;difiicultiesz Bresent;practiceinow:requirestispeeds.of trans-. latiorr. of: the webs: more?than: twice: as; r at. those of a comparatively:fewryears; agoaanchiaddition: to this; newspapers now; have; at. times, a" much: greaternmnbereon-pagesxthanr. thoseeforlli merly producedi. X i

In running apluralityvoitassociated webs over. the prior type of?former, of: fixediconform ti s; it hasxbeen' found thatsan increased;advance: to

suit present high speedi practicetcauses ;frequent'.

:bucklingi of some; of thexwebsaasl-the time element must' be consideredand; provided fonim rd r-t0." produce the best'resultsi- It has alsobeenr found that: with; increase in the: number: of: sheets; and: the;consequent.

2thgreaten thicknessof a. multiple; web; the: tension of theaouter:sheets-, due s to: ithegnecessarily; curved.- delivery, is=so1 great:that; the prior types of: formers break or tear some of them, besidescrum-' pling tlie" inner sheetstof the gmupm It i's one ofr 'theobjects-ofzthis invention to iprovide a former witha flexible:andzadiustable nose p'ortiom which: willi be.-conformed: to operate:sucrcessfully upon multiple webs at various and: at highspeeds and:also 1. to operate favorably; upon 362" a thinrunningwebxcomposediof a;few sheets? as I well as on a: thicker: one: oomprisingtaflar einumeberof -sheets; aindlbyreasomofi its construction and mode of action the:difficulties; hereinbefore: recited are overcome;

.40: In order" to attain the; improved results. y

means-of this inventionzthe; former-us iconstructed and tliis dualadiustabilityrohviatemtheindiflioul ties herei nbefore mentioned; 5m

It i's-aiso an obj ectofrthe inventibn to; provide.

asformerifoua; running web of-generally, improved construction which issimple, durable. and inex-e pensive. inconstruction; as well asconvenient, practicaLservioeable and efiicientin use.

- Withthe'f1oregoing. and: othen objects? in view, whichmill appear.asthe. descriptionrproceeds,the I invention,- resides in.v thecombination and. arrangement; of parts, "and" in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it. being understoodthat various. changes: in the precise embodiment of the: inventionherein disclosed may be madeiwithin the scope: of what is claimedwithout departing;fromithespirit of, they invent-ion. v

A preferred; embodiment of theinvention illustrated -in the accompanyingdrawing where-- Figure; 1 is former;v

Figure -2=is a. front elevation thereof looking in: therdirectionwofthearrow 2 of. Figurevl;

Figure. 31 is a. side elevationofthe improvedflexible-andadjustablegnoseaportion.oitheformer; and.

Figure 4 is a rear, elevationthereof viewediin. the direction ofithe;arrow, rot: Figure 3;

Referring now-to the; characters: of; reference on the drawing-:-. I

A portion'of; across framefor the. machine and Which-. supports.theQformen is indicated. as Illwhile;-12 is-a portion of; a. rear sideframe of. the apparatus. A portion of the top frameaisiindicated as 134and a part of.a: front side, frameis indicatedias-lt.

Iihe former1 generally is. indicated as..15. and its body;ispreferably-composed of: a thinplate. of, steel which is supported;and, reinforced at its edges-b n roundv bars or shafts. 16. forming thecurvededged portions of the former. in order. to, smoothlyguide-the-webas itisflexed thereover...v

'Iihe-iormer ismounteduponthe carriage 1.7,. which is adapted to supportit, and by the opera-. tion' of the; handrwheelzoand its connections iscapable; ofs movement laterally,- in: the: directions. indicabedby: thearrows on Figure,2 inorder to accommodate webs" of diiferent widths andto. position them relativelyrtheretc so as, to" insure: a. centrallongitudinal fold therein.

a side. elevation of.- the.-impr oved.

In-- order tovvarythe inclination of the former 1-5: a rod 18- ispivoted thereto as. indicated and. capable, of being movedlongitudinallyand. positioned; by means of the adjusting nut 19- audits companionjamnut-Zl, Theformer 15, isfurther supported by thezbracketor rocker arm,22 which: isicapableqi; aiswinging movement about the reels.

shaft 23 whereby it may be slightly adjusted in inclination by the nuts19 and 21 in order to insure the accurate tracking of the running web W,and to flx the position of its upper end adjacent to but not trackingthe roller 24.

The web W is delivered to the drag roller 24 which is mounted on thedriven shaft 25v and. thence passes downwardly in an inclined directionover the generally triangular former 15 and is given an initial foldthereby. The shaft 25 is rotatably supported in end bearings carried bythe frame and is also centrally supported by a bearing at the upper endof the, post 26.

The flexible nose portionof the former, which is preferably composed ofa thin elastic steel plate, is indicated as 27 and this is secured tothe more rigid body portion of the former 15 by the tap screws 28. Onthe inner sideof the flexible flexible nose'portion therefor, and meansfor flexnose portion 27 a bracket 29 is secured, which is provided withthe pivot pin 31 as shown, and near the lower end of the rigid upperportion of the former 15, a fulcrum bracket 32 is secured thereto andthis is provided with a fulcrum pin 33.

25 a Another pivot pin 34 is provided to pivotally-connect theupper endof the lever 35, to the inner end of the adjusting rod 36 the rear endof which is screw-threaded and provided with an adjusting nut 3'7 and ajam nut 38 in order to move and position it with respect to the carriage1'7. Bearing blocks 39 and 41 are mounted on the base frame 11 and carrythe rotatableshafts 42 and 44 on which are respectively mounted theundriven bending rollers 43and 45.

Having thus given a description of the mechanism, a rsum of its mode ofoperation will be of interest.

The drag roller 24 is driven by any suitable source'of power and the webW is advanced by it, whereupon it passes over the former 15 which formsthe initial fold. This running web W may be composed of any number ofplies orthicknesses and, as it passes over the flexible nose 27, thisnose, by reason of its thinness and manner of support is adapted to flexand accommodate itself to the movement of the web and to the forcesthereby applied to it. The nose portion 27 is preferably formed from anintegral steel plate which is inherently and elastically flexible.

In order to arrange the adjustable nose to the best advantage, it may beless curved when a web composed of a large number of plies 'is beinginitially folded and may have a greater curvature when a thinnermultiple web is being folded. This adjustment is made mechanically bymoving the adjusting rod 36 longitudinally either backward orforward'and securing it in the position desired by means of theadjusting nut 37 and the jam nut38 and this may be done either beforethe operation begins or if found necessary the conformation of the nosecan be adjusted while the web is running in order to produce the bestresults. It has been found that a thin multiple web wil run withoutdifficulty over a nose of greater'cur- -vature, while a thicker web orone of more plies 3 ducing the desired curvature in the nose, it shouldbe noted that its outer end portion overhangs the bracket 29 to acertain extent in the form of a projection or cantilever, and as this iselastically flexible it will yield to any irregularities of and to b anyexcess or deficiency of pressure applied to it by the running web, sothat its end portion automatically adjusts itself in accordance with thework to be performed.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from thespirit or essential attributesthereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive,reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoingdescription to indicate the scope of the invention. I

WhatI claim is:

-' 1. A formerfor a'running web, said former being equipped with aflexible nose portion, and .means'for -adjusting the curvature of saidnose portion. v I

2. In a former for a running web, an elastically ing Said nose portionto just the curvature thereof. a j b 3. In a former for a running web; aflexible nose secured thereto, and means for adjusting the.

curvature of that portion of the nose adjacent to the former.

4. In a former for a running web, an inherently flexible nose securedthereto, and means for flexing said nose relatively to said former.

5. In a former for a running web, an inherently flexible nose securedthereto, and means acting upon the intermediate portion of said noseadapted to bend it relatively to .said former.

6. In a former for a running web, an inherently flexible nose portionsecured thereto, means act-.

ing upon the intermediate portion of said nose adapted to flexitrelatively tosaid former, the

outer end of said'nose projecting beyond said means and adapted to bendin proportion to the forces applied thereto by said web.

7; The combination with a running web, of a former adapted to initiallyfold it, an inherently flexible nose secured to the delivery end of saidformer, means for positioning the portion of said nose adjacent theformer, said nose having an rower portion extending unsupportedlytherefrom Y and adapted to flex in proportion to the pressures appliedto it by the running web.

10. In a mechanism of the character described, a former, an inherentlyflexible nose portion secured thereto, a lever secured to said nose, andmeans for rocking and securing said lever, whereby said nose is flexedas desired.

11. In a mechanism of the character described, a former, an inherentlyflexible nose the inner end of which is secured to said former, a lever,one end of which is pivoted to said nose with its central portionfulcrumed on the former, and means for rocking and securing said lever,whereby the nose is flexed as desired.

12. In a mechanism of the character described;

a former, an inherently flexible nose secured thereto and projectingtherefrom, a lever fulcru med on said former with one end pivoted to 14.A former of the character described comprising in combination, a bodyportion, elastic means attached to said body portion, means for movingsaid body portion and elastic means in unison, and means for adjustingthe elastic means independently of said body portion.

WILLIAM J. STRAIN.

